Visnovec v. Yellow Freight System, Inc.

754 F. Supp. 142, 7 I.E.R. Cas. (BNA) 1653, 136 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2717, 1990 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18010, 1990 WL 252798
CourtDistrict Court, D. Minnesota
DecidedMarch 23, 1990
DocketCiv. No. 3-88-815
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 754 F. Supp. 142 (Visnovec v. Yellow Freight System, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Visnovec v. Yellow Freight System, Inc., 754 F. Supp. 142, 7 I.E.R. Cas. (BNA) 1653, 136 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2717, 1990 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18010, 1990 WL 252798 (mnd 1990).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT, CONCLUSIONS OF LAW AND ORDER FOR JUDGMENT

RENNER, District Judge.

The above entitled matter having come before this Court on stipulation of the facts by counsel, and the Court having heard the arguments of counsel, having considered the briefs, the pleadings and the file and records of the case, the Court makes the following Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Order for Judgment:

FINDINGS OF FACT

The Stipulations of Facts by the parties dated December 11, 1989 and December 27, 1989 are hereby adopted as the Findings of Fact of the Court.

[144]*144CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

1. That the cause of action of plaintiff alleging violation of Minn.Stat. 181.953, Subd. 9 is preempted by the Labor Management Relations Act, 29 U.S.C. § 185.

2. That the cause of action of plaintiff alleging violation of Minn.Stat. 181.953, Subd. 10 is not preempted by the Labor Management Relations Act, 29 U.S.C. § 185.

3. That the cause of action of plaintiff alleging violations of Minn.Stat. § 181.950 through § 181.957 is preempted by Department of Transportation regulations at 49 C.F.R. 391 et seq. regarding physical qualifications for drivers.

ORDER FOR JUDGMENT

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that plaintiff’s claim alleging violations of Minn.Stat. § 181.950 through § 181.957 is dismissed with prejudice. LET JUDGMENT BE ENTERED ACCORDINGLY.

MEMORANDUM

Plaintiff Visnovec alleges that defendant Yellow Freight System, Inc. (“Yellow Freight”) violated Minnesota law by terminating his employment on the basis of marijuana use without following the requirements of Minn.Stat. § 181.950 et seq., “Drug and Alcohol Testing in the Workplace.” Specifically, plaintiff argues that defendant violated Minn.Stat. § 181.953, Subd. 9 by taking an adverse personnel action without a confirmatory retest as requested by the plaintiff. He also argues that defendant failed to offer him the opportunity for drug rehabilitation following his first positive confirmatory test result as required by Minn.Stat. § 181.953, Subd. 10. Defendant contends that plaintiff was tested and terminated for drug use pursuant to a drug testing system consistent with federal transportation law and negotiated in a collective bargaining agreement (“Agreement”) between plaintiff's union and defendant. Included in that policy were requirements for testing, specific procedures, an opportunity for rehabilitation, and disciplinary procedures. Defendant argues that plaintiffs claims under the Minnesota statute are preempted by § 301 of the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947 (“LMRA”), 29 U.S.C. § 185, and by federal transportation law. Defendant further asserts that its compliance with the terms of the Agreement resulted in compliance with the Minnesota statute as well.

A state law cause of action is preempted by Section 301 of the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, 29 U.S.C. § 185, if “resolution of a state-law claim is substantially dependent upon analysis of the terms of an agreement made between the parties in a labor contract.” Allis-Chalmers Corp. v. Lueck, 471 U.S. 202, 220, 105 S.Ct. 1904, 1915-16, 85 L.Ed.2d 206 (1985). State-law rights and obligations are preempted if they do not exist independently of private agreements and, therefore, can be waived or altered by agreement of private parties. Id., 471 U.S. at 213, 105 S.Ct. at 1912. However, a state law is not preempted if it involves “nonnegotiable state-law rights” that are “independent of any right established by contract.” Lueck, 471 U.S. at 213, 105 S.Ct. at 1912. With regard to rights of workers, “pre-emption should not be lightly inferred in this area, since the establishment of labor standards falls within the traditional police power of the State.” Fort Halifax Packing Co., Inc. v. Coyne, 482 U.S. 1, 107 S.Ct. 2211, 96 L.Ed.2d 1 (1987).

In a subdivision titled “Employee protections under existing collective bargaining agreements,” the Minnesota law states that the protections provided by §§ 181.-950-181.954 shall not be construed

to interfere with or diminish any employee protections relating to drug ... testing already provided under collective bargaining agreements in effect ... that exceed the minimum standards and requirements for employee protection provided in those sections.

Minn.Stat. § 181.955, Subd. 2 (emphasis added). In determining whether plaintiff’s claims are preempted, the Court must consider whether any rights under the Minnesota statute exist independently of the con[145]*145tract and, if they are not independent, if they were waived or altered by agreement of private parties.1 The Court must also consider whether resolution of the state claims requires interpretation of the Agreement.

Defendant points out, and the Court agrees, that under Minnesota law the use of a confirmatory retest is optional and therefore not a part of the minimum requirements established by the law. In § 181.953, subd. 9, the employee “may” request such a retest. The provision requiring a positive test result on the confirmatory retest before adverse personnel action may be taken is therefore dependent on the employee’s initial request for such a retest. The collective bargaining agreement under which plaintiff was tested does not require a retest before a discharge can occur. Since the request for a retest was optional in the Minnesota statute, the provision providing a retest was a right that could be and was waived by agreement of the parties through the collective bargaining process. Therefore, preemption occurs with regard to this provision.

Defendant argues that its action in compliance with the Agreement also meets Minn.Stat. § 181.953, Subd. 10, requiring an employer to offer an employee an opportunity for rehabilitation after the first positive confirmatory test and before any adverse personnel actions are taken. However, the Agreement only offers a leave of absence for drug abuse rehabilitation if requested “prior to the commission of any act subject to disciplinary action.” National Master Freight Agreement, Article 35, § 3(b) (emphasis added). Therefore, compliance with the Agreement does not constitute compliance with Minnesota’s minimum requirement. Minnesota law provides its workers a right that exists independently from the labor contract. To resolve this claim under state law, a Court must determine whether plaintiff received an offer of rehabilitation following a first positive confirmatory test. This does not require an interpretation of the labor contract.2 The Court concludes that plaintiff’s claim of violation of Minn.Stat. § 181.953, Subd. 10 is not preempted by § 301 of the LMRA.

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754 F. Supp. 142, 7 I.E.R. Cas. (BNA) 1653, 136 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2717, 1990 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18010, 1990 WL 252798, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/visnovec-v-yellow-freight-system-inc-mnd-1990.